July 31, 2015 — Bryan College Athletics is honored to have recent Bryan College Graduate Wesley Sanders join the staff as the new Sports Information Director, Brian Nelson become the current Head Athletic Trainer, and TJ Zinke take on the role as the new Assistant Athletic Trainer.

Wesley Sanders joins the Bryan College Athletic Staff as the Sports Information Director. Sanders graduated from Bryan this past spring with a degree in Exercise Health Science, with minors in Business and Biblical Studies.

During his senior year, Sanders did an internship in the Athletic Department working directly with Athletic Director Taylor Hasty. “It was a natural transition for us,” remarked Coach Hasty, “Wes is a wonderful young man who is full of ideas and passion. He will do a great job for us because he cares deeply about Bryan College, Lion Athletics, and the local community. I am thankful to have him on staff as our ambassador for all we do here.”

“I am so excited to be serving at my alma-mater,” said Sanders, “I am thankful to work alongside our incredible athletics staff and support them in any way that I can.”

Sanders and his wife, Tabitha (also a Bryan graduate), were married this past June and currently reside in Dayton, Tenn.

Brian Nelson began his tenure as Head Athletic Trainer at Bryan College in June of 2015. Having received a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Indiana Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in exercise science from the University of Toledo, Brian comes to Bryan College after a three year stint at Houghton College (NY) as the Assistant Athletic Trainer. Brian has established a residence in Dayton, where he lives with his wife, Beth, and daughter, Kaylee.

TJ Zinke (photo unavailable) will be joining the Athletic Training Staff as an Assistant Athletic Trainer. TJ is a wonderful young man who has a passion for our Savior and a servant’s heart for our student athletes. He is a graduate of Wheaton College in 2011 with a B.S. in Applied Health Science and a minor in Philosophy. He then completed his graduate degree in Athletic Training at UTC in the spring of 2014. TJ is coming from Covenant College. He will begin working on August 3.

This ranking is calculated out of traditional four-year schools of 4,000 or fewer students. Out of the more than 400 qualifying schools east of the Mississippi River, 100 were determined as the most affordable and ranked according to average net price* and annual cost. Bryan College placed an impressive no. 66, in addition to being called “one of the best small colleges in Tennessee.”

“I love being able to spread the word about what a wonderful value Bryan is,” commented Director of Financial Aid David Haggard. “We are a small school that offers so much at an amazing price. Our tuition is one of the lowest among private schools in the nation, and we offer generous scholarships and grants to most of our students. Rankings like this make it clear that we truly desire to be an affordable option for Christian higher education.”

According to their website, Great Value Colleges boasts “years of demonstrable expertise and skill at helping students and their families successfully choose from among only those colleges and universities that truly are aptly-suited to provide them with the highest level of education possible and the most diverse and comprehensive package of student assistance, support, and services.”

To see what scholarships they are eligible for and to apply for scholarships, prospective students are encouraged to visit Bryan’s financial aid page here.

*According to the ranking’s methodology, “’Net Price’ refers to an adjusted price that considers both annual tuition costs and added fees as well as the average financial aid package per student. College Navigator, a component of the National Center for Education Statistics, calculates these figures primarily from self-reported institutional information. Understandably, the actual cost for your education will depend on the length of your degree program, your personal economic situation, your ability to attain scholarships, school-imposed tuition changes, and other factors.”

July 17, 2015 — On Wednesday, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the winners of their Scholar-Teams for 2014-15. The Bryan Lions Volleyball, Women’s Soccer, and Men’s Basketball teams are honored by their hard work in the classroom and their academic success.

For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar-Team award, it must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) as defined by the institution. The team grade point average includes all eligible varsity student-athletes.

All three teams are impressive, but the Volleyball team finished in front of the pack with the highest grade point average, 3.20. The Lady Lion’s Soccer Team followed not too far behind with a 3.18 team GPA, and the Men’s Basketball team earned a solid 3.05 GPA.

There is a total of 1,502 teams that have been given the distinction of Scholar-Teams for the 2014-15 academic year.

For more information on NAIA awards, including the Scholar-Team honor, click here.

June 30, 2015 – Dates have been set for several eye-opening campus visitation days at Bryan College, absolutely free of charge. Middle and high school students from public and private schools, as well as the homeschool community, are welcome and encouraged to come to campus and see what Bryan is all about.

Coming up in less than two weeks, the first of these events is the Summit Visitation Day during the annual intensive Summit Student Worldview Conference in July. On Saturday, July 11, from 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M., prospective students will have the chance to hear respected author and speaker Josh McDowell present on “Bible: Fact, Fiction or Fallacy,” as well as tour campus, eat in the dining hall, and attend several workshops on topics such as worldview and the significance of Dayton, Bryan, and the Scopes Trial. This event is free for teens age 15 and up, and parents are welcome – but registration is limited, so those interested should sign up soon!

September 7 Bryan welcomes students to a special Labor Day on the Hill, offering yet more opportunities for students to tour campus, eat a meal in the dining hall, attend class and chapel, and talk with an admissions representative.

Campus Preview Day, October 22-23, features an exciting overnight visit that shows prospective Bryan Lions what it is like to live in the dorms, as well as attending class and chapel. The uniqueness of this event – one of Bryan’s most popular – lies in the students’ ability to experience the Bryan College campus community firsthand, and this event is also free of cost.

These campus visits are open to students of all academic backgrounds, and Admissions Homeschool Specialist Pat Wesolowski encourages homeschoolers, as well as public- and private-schoolers, to take advantage of these hands-on opportunities to get to know Bryan College.

June 5, 2015 – In recognition of National Fishing and Boating Week this week Assistant Professor of Exercise and Health Science David Perron acted as a Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) ambassador and held two workshops today at local Dayton and Soddy-Daisy Wal-Mart stores.

An FLW member himself, Perron volunteered in the ambassador program, explaining that “ambassadors come and talk to people about fishing and answer questions they have.” The events featured a casting contest and candy prizes for the children and in-depth conversation for adults about lines and lures and all things fishing. Interested youngsters ranged in age from elementary school through high school.

June 5, 2015 – From June through the end of July, Bryan College and Fort Bluff Camp will be holding several sports-centered camps for junior high and high school students, and signups are now open.

These exciting opportunities include three separate volleyball camps, one softball camp, and one cross country camp. Staffed and led by Bryan College coaching staff and athletes, these three camps provide an excellent time of training and camaraderie, focused on growing students as individuals and as teammates and growing the true love of the game in the hearts of campers.

Volleyball camps, directed by Head Volleyball Coach David Shumaker and Assistant Volleyball Coach Jessica Day, will take place June 10-12, July 6-9, and July 13-16. Rhea County High School Varsity Volleyball Coach Hannah Suits said that the camp “provides a Christ-centered camp that has made a huge impact” on her team and that her players have “developed new skills to better themselves and our program.”

The softball skills camp on June 23-24 will hone students’ skills also while building team spirit, and registration for this camp is due Tuesday, June 16.

Finally, the cross country camp on July 27-30 “provides male and female campers aged 12 to 18 with an educational and motivational experience as they prepare for their upcoming cross country season. The focus of the camp is to provide appropriate training, based on the individual’s current fitness level, as well as group and individual instruction that will lead to new levels of success,” according to the Bryan Lions website, and will be held at Fort Bluff. Registration is due July 10.

Bryan College Athletic Director Taylor Hasty remarked, “Bryan College is such a special place, and our coaches do a wonderful job with our athletes. Signing up for a camp is a great way to get involved with us here at Bryan. Not only with your athlete receive excellent athletic instruction but they will also learn life principles as well.”

June 4, 2015 — For the third year in a row the Bryan College Baseball Program had a player(s) named to the NAIA All-American Team. Senior right handed pitcher Kenny Knudsen and junior outfielder Preston King both received 2nd Team designations by the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association All-America Committee. A total of 34 players received first and second team honors with an additional 34 student-athletes receiving honorable mention recognition.

Knudsen transitioned to starting pitcher this past spring after spending the previous 3 seasons primarily out of the bullpen for the Lions. Knudsen was named the Appalachian Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year after going 12-2 in 15 starts and recording 1 save. In his 96 innings pitched, Knudsen struck out 102 hitters, walking just 28 and batters hit .163 against him (all Bryan College season records). He also recorded 5 shutouts to go with 1 combined shutout, including a no-hit bid against Taylor University.

Preston King started in both left and right fields for the Lions over the course of the season, hitting in the two-spot for one of the top offenses in the NAIA. During the regular season, King led the Lions in hitting before finishing with a batting average of .359, recording 78 hits, 23 doubles, 3 triples and 13 home-runs. His 68 RBI over the course of the season is a record for the Bryan program. For his efforts, King was named to the Appalachian Athletic All-Conference team.

“Our program has been fortunate to have many good players over the past decade and these two join the ranks,” head coach Taylor Hasty remarked. “I am very proud of these young men and I am grateful to the committee for recognizing how good they were for us during this past season.”

King and Knudsen join Tyler Latham (1st Team-C, 2013) and Grant Zawadzki (Honorable Mention-SS, 2014) as Bryan players to receive the NAIA All-American designation. Knudsen is the first pitcher to receive the honor for the Lions.

June 2, 2015 – Tomorrow will conclude the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Girls’ Camp at Bryan College, the first of four camps to be hosted on campus over the course of summer 2015, including the FCA Girls’ Camp, the FCA Boys’ Camp, Newcamp, and Summit.

These camps all seek to develop young people in their knowledge of and relationship with the Lord. Administrative Assistant for Office of Operations Diana Buttram, who helps to schedule summer college guests, said, “Bryan College is one of the most beautiful colleges in the Southeast. Our campus is contained as opposed to being in a city. This keeps the students in a centralized area and makes it easier to control distractions.”

Both FCA basketball team camps (June 1-3 for the girls, June 15-17 for the boys) are scheduled with competition along with regular Bible study and feature speaker D.A. Horton, the director of Lecrae’s recording label Reach Records.

NewCamp, a youth group camp with church groups across several eastern U.S. states, features fellowship, worship, teaching by featured speaker Wayne Barber of Woodland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, and Bible studies for students. This summer marks NewCamp’s 15th year at Bryan College, the first year being the summer after the Administration Building burned in 2000. The college will host NewCamp students June 20-26.

The Summit Ministries Student Conference, which has had its Tennessee conference at Bryan since 1995, will be the final summer camp July 5-18. According to the Summit website, “Over 15 Christian thought leaders, such as Sean McDowell, Warren Smith, Brett Kunkle, and WAY-FM‘s Morning Show Hosts Wally and Zach will mentor students in apologetics, public policy, and business during the intensive 12-day conference designed to teach students how to analyze the various ideas that are currently competing for their hearts and minds.”

Bryan College is honored to host these camps this summer and looks forward to continued relationships with these organizations.

May 21, 2015 – On May 19 Bryan College’s own Food Services Director AJ Caudill won the prestigious President’s Award from Pioneer College Caterers for his excellent work serving students, faculty, and staff.

AJ Caudill, left, with Pioneer Disctrict Manager Sami Elmaasarani

According to Pioneer College Caterers, the President’s Award is the highest honor a foodservice director can receive. It is presented to the foodservice director who has shown excellence in the following fields: client relations and satisfaction; menu/program development, innovation, and presentation; adherence to company mission/values statement; compliance with company policies and programs; marketing program development and execution; employee training and development; sanitation and safety; financial performance.

“Ever since his arrival at Bryan College, AJ has endeavored to serve our college community with a Christ-like attitude and a commitment to excellence,” stated Vice President of Student Services and Ministries Tim Hostetler. “Not only has his service and cuisine been exemplary, but he has also connected on a personal level with many of our students and staff.”

Vice President of Finance and Enrollment Rick Taphorn agreed: “Bryan College’s cafeteria hosts many community events, both small and very large. The quality of food at these events has always rivaled and often surpassed any that I have experienced at some of the finest restaurants and convention centers. Every detail of the meal is thought out and planned to perfection.”

“In a close knit community,” remarked President Stephen D. Livesay, “no place is more important as a daily (and multiple times during the day) gathering place than our dining hall.” He continued, “For the first time in my nearly 40 years working in educational institutions, the food item is praised as a positive when students are asked by our Board members! That takes much work, creativity, care, and a listening ear to be able to consistently satisfy both needs and desires of the entire Bryan community.”